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Cat's in the Cradle Lyrics
My child arrived just the other day;
Came to the world in the usually way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
He was talkin' 'fore I knew it.
And as he grew he said,
"I'm gonna be like you, Dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."
Chorus :
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man on the moon.
"When you comin' home ?"
"Son, I don't know when.
We'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."
Well, my son turned ten just the other day.
He said , "Thanks for the ball, Dad. Come on, let's play.
Could you teach me to throw ?" I said, "Not today.
I got a lot to do." He said, "That's okay."
And he walked away and he smiled and he said,
"You know,
I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him."
Chorus
Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man I just had to say,
"I'm proud of you. Could you sit for a while ?"
He shook his head and he said with a smile,
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them please ?"
Chorus :
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man on the moon.
"When you comin' home, Son ?"
"I don't know when.
We'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."
I've long since retired, my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
"I'd like to see you, if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I could find the time.
You see my new job's a hassle and the kids have the flu,
But it's sure nice talkin' to you, Dad.
It's been sure nice talkin' to you."
And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Chorus
for gods sake not every song is about drugs. This one clearly has nothing to do with drugs.
I cry to this song sometimes because the general song meaning is that a dad doesn't have the time to be with his child and help him grow, and the child starts to grow and needs stuff from his father. And when he has children of his own, his son doesn't have time to be with his dad. And the reason I cry to this song is because the same thing happened with my dad and my brother. Sooner or later, it's going to happen with me, and I won't have time for my dad anymore. Just like the son in this song.
I cry to this song sometimes because the general song meaning is that a dad doesn't have the time to be with his child and help him grow, and the child starts to grow and needs stuff from his father. And when he has children of his own, his son doesn't have time to be with his dad. And the reason I cry to this song is because the same thing happened with my dad and my brother. Sooner or later, it's going to happen with me, and I won't have time for my dad anymore. Just like the son in this song. trystan101on April 13, 2021
I think that Cat Stephens originally recorded this song. The apple falls not far from the tree.
No not Cat Stevens. The Carpenters. This version is like 1 Million times better than the original.
Actually, the original version was by Harry Chapin, recorded in 1974. I haven't heard the UKJ re-working, but Chapin's original is amazing.
This is a great song. And loopydate is right. The original was written by Harry Chapin, and Ugly Kid Joe does a tremendous job singing this. As you could tell the song is about a man who had no time for his son as he grew up and the son kept telling him that he was going to be like his father. And it turns out that way. The son who is married and has kids now does not have time for his father. As the end says, "He'd grown up just like me, my boy was just like me."
And what's with 'And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man on the moon'? Is this typically American? What does it mean?
Cats in the cradle, silver spoon, little boy blue, man on the moon are all references to nursery rhymes, some written in america and some in england. The nursery ryhmes refernce reenforces the idea that it was during those formative years that this mans child learnt that being a workaholic with no time for his family is the way to live life.
Cats in the cradle, silver spoon, little boy blue, man on the moon are all references to nursery rhymes, some written in america and some in england. The nursery ryhmes refernce reenforces the idea that it was during those formative years that this mans child learnt that being a workaholic with no time for his family is the way to live life.
@N The song's chorus references several childhood things: The Cat's in the Cradle string game, silver spoons that are given to babies as christening gifts, and the nursery rhymes Little Boy Blue and Man in the Moon. (text taken from Wikipedia)
@N The song's chorus references several childhood things: The Cat's in the Cradle string game, silver spoons that are given to babies as christening gifts, and the nursery rhymes Little Boy Blue and Man in the Moon. (text taken from Wikipedia)
i've heard it sung by harry chapin and james taylor, and my dad says that harry chapin is the original -- and my personal favorite.
the chorus: 'and the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man on the moon' refers to growing up, i believe. he's alluding to the passage of time, that his little boy was growing up in the "usual way"... a phrase in the first verse, which to me, is his way of saying that at first, there was nothing special about his son being born... yeah, a kid, you know, and then at the end, he realizes how much his son meant to him.
also, i believe the lyric in the second verse is "my son turned ten just the other day", not "well he slept til ten just the other day"...